You walk into the library on the first day of school and what you see is nothing familiar. You’ll see a mixture of high and low tables surrounding bookshelves in the center of the room. You’ll see soft chairs and designated studying areas. It will be a whole new room.

If you were to go into the Millard North library today, all you’d see is empty shelves and chairs pushed to the wall. However, when you see the library on the first day of school, it will look like a brand new space, including new chairs and bookshelves. 

The renovations to the library began May 4, sooner than expected, and will be done by the time school starts. The new library will be equipped with new tables and chairs for comfortable studying for students, as well as new carpet paint and bookshelves.

“The re-envisioning of our space will give much needed new carpet, paint, and updated furnishings to our students.  Since we are 1:1, the spaces will be designed for students to find a welcoming place to study and read,”  teacher-librarian Dr. Stephanie Burdic said. “It is designed so students can have comfortable, relaxed seating for individual study, or find a prime location for group work.  We’ll have a combination of high and low tables, with different styles of chairs.”

The new library is being designed by a hired architect who had some experience renovating libraries. They worked with Mr. Begley, Sharon Wandrey, and Dr. Burdic to be able to accommodate the needs of the teachers and students.

“They’ve [the architects] been great to work with and I am really pleased with the aesthetics.  We are going for a modern, sleek, clean design that will be inviting for student use.

The library, once primarily used as a computer lab, is ready for the change. Now that students have their own laptops, the computer lab set up is no longer necessary. Plus, the last time the library was renovated was 2000, and 20 years is enough time to make any carpet look messy.

“As we’ve gone to 1:1 computers, using the library as a giant computer lab is no longer necessary. It is time to re-envision the space. Besides that 20 years of hard use on the carpet and furnishings have left us looking a little shabby,” Burdic said.

Many people are looking forward to this renovation, but having worked out of that space for 20 years, it is needless to say that Dr. Burdic is really looking forward to it.

“Let’s be honest here: no one on earth is more excited about this renovation than me! After working 20 years in the same room, with increasingly tired and worn decor, I’m ready for a change!” Burdic said.

Burdic is not the only person looking forward to the coming renovations.

“I’m excited to see what changes they’ll make to create an even better experience for students,” sophomore Manali Mukherjee said.

With the new enclosed teaching areas, teachers will love it too.

“ I expect that the “new” library will be spectacular!” Latin teacher Julia Kolander said.

All in all, the new library will be a quiet and comfortable pace for students to study as well as a place that both teachers and students are looking forward to.